Discuss... Mosque near New York's Ground Zero

[J.Ralli]

Sorry from my blackberry so I'm not sure of the outcome of this

WASHINGTON (AP) - August 14, 2010 -- Weighing his words carefully on a fiery political issue, President Barack Obama said Saturday that Muslims have the right to build a mosque near New York's ground zero, but he did not say whether he believes it is a good idea to do so.

Obama commented during a trip to Florida, where he expanded on a Friday night White House speech asserting that Muslims have the same right to freedom of religion as everyone else in America.

The president's statements thrust him squarely into a debate that he had skirted for weeks and could put Democrats on the spot three months before midterm elections where they already were nervous about holding control of the House and maybe even the Senate. Until Friday, the White House had asserted that it did not want to get involved in local decision-making.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent who has been a strong supporter of the mosque, welcomed Obama's White House speech as a "clarion defense of the freedom of religion."

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was among those who met with Obama on Saturday, lauded the president's position. Crist is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent.

"I think he's right - I mean you know we're a country that in my view stands for freedom of religion and respect for others," Crist said after the Florida meeting with Obama and other officials. "I know there are sensitivities and I understand them. This is a place where you're supposed to be able to practice your religion without the government telling you you can't."

Others were quick to pounce on Obama's statements. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene of Florida took Obama's Friday speech to mean the president supports the construction.

"President Obama has this all wrong and I strongly oppose his support for building a mosque near ground zero especially since Islamic terrorists have bragged and celebrated destroying the Twin Towers and killing nearly 3,000 Americans," said Greene. "Freedom of religion might provide the right to build the mosque in the shadow of ground zero, but common sense and respect for those who lost their lives and loved ones gives sensible reason to build the mosque someplace else."

The mosque would be part of a $100 million Islamic community center two blocks from where nearly 3,000 people perished when hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

The proposed construction has sparked debate around the country that has included opposition from top Republicans including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich as well as the Jewish civil rights group the Anti-Defamation League.

Obama's Friday comment was taken by some to mean that he strongly supports the building of an Islamic center near the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, something he never said.

Speaking to a gathering at the White House Friday evening to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Obama said that he believes "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country."

"That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances," he said. "This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable."

Asked Saturday about the issue during his trip to Florida, Obama said: "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding."

Obama said that "my intention was simply to let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion."

Some relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks supported Obama's comments.

The mosque is "in many ways ... a fitting tribute," said Colleen Kelly of the Bronx, who lost her brother Bill Kelly Jr. in the attacks.

"This is the voice of Islam that I believe needs a wider audience," said Kelly, who is Catholic. "This is what moderate Islam is all about."

Opinions are mixed among family members.

Sally Regenhard, whose firefighter son was killed at the World Trade Center, has said the president's comments show "a gross lack of sensitivity to the 9/11 families and to the people who were lost."

Obama surely knew that his words Friday night at a White House dinner marking the holy month of Ramadan not only would make headlines, but be heard by Muslims worldwide. The president has made it a point to reach out to the global Muslim community, and the more than 100 guests at Friday's dinner included ambassadors and officials from numerous nations where Islam is observed, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

When Obama first took office, Muslim leaders had high hopes from his presidency, even as he kept his distance from them during the campaign and rebutted false rumors that he was Muslim.

Their expectations were raised further after a June 2009 speech in Cairo, where Obama said he wanted to forge a relationship between the U.S. and Muslims based on respect and parterships with the private sector and civil society.

But many leaders have since become disappointed in the president, believing he has mostly kept his outreach to their community behind the scenes. Many Muslims had also hoped he would reverse several Bush administration policies they felt unfairly targeted them after the Sept. 11 attacks, such as no-fly lists and the Patriot Act.

[JankyS13]

this story is going to get beat to death by the media, simple reason, no matter which way a political leader cast their opinion. It comes down to a you are damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario.

build the mosque there the people are going to be people that are butt hurt over 18? ****tards that made history.

don't build a mosque there and now you are stating that their religious views are held liable what a small group did that day.

IMO, there shouldn't be religion at all, people can not handle the concept and end up starting a war 9 times out of ten in what? the name of god.

how ever chris rock said it best in dogma,

RUFUS
I think it's better to have ideas. You can change
an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life
should malleable and progressive; working from
idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to
certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't
generate. Life becomes stagnant. That was one
thing the Man hated - still life.

[renn]

Originally Posted by JankyS13

how ever chris rock said it best in dogma,

LOL high school yearbook quote.

[Scapegoat]

Obama had the right answer... by rights given to every american citizen... they are allowed to build a mosque there. Is it a smart choice? probably not... i foresee vandalism if not straight up violence targeting the mosque and the people that pray there. However, let them build. perhaps including a museum of history or something to educate the masses that muslims aren't bad.

extremists in any group are bad news. The catholic church has a history of far greater and further reaching atrocities than the muslim religion. Humanity in the name of Greed has committed far greater and further reaching atrocities than any single religion.

[sleeper15]

i say let them build it. Then, watch it burn to the ground afterwards. Unfourtantly, especially now in days, it's going to be nearly impossiable to reducate the United states public about the history of the muslim religion.

Hell, in my area alone, you know how many times i get asked "When did you guys start delivering chinese food from this place?" everytime i leave with a to go box from the local chinese resturant? If something simple like that still goes on, trying to change the look of a whole relgion will be nearly impossiable.

[FocusDude]

Originally Posted by sleeper15

i say let them build it. Then, watch it burn to the ground afterwards. Unfourtantly, especially now in days, it's going to be nearly impossiable to reducate the United states public about the history of the muslim religion.

Which is probably true. But by building this so close, and all the hub bub about it. You would think they could be somewhat sensitive to conditions here and choose another area? Poor taste.

[sleeper15]

Originally Posted by FocusDude

Which is probably true. But by building this so close, and all the hub bub about it. You would think they could be somewhat sensitive to conditions here and choose another area? Poor taste.

Yeah, out of anywhere in the city, they picked that spot.

that would be like the USA building a monument to the pilots of the Enola Gay right in the middle of Hiroshima.

[RedWabbit]

Originally Posted by sleeper15

Yeah, out of anywhere in the city, they picked that spot.

that would be like the USA building a monument to the pilots of the Enola Gay right in the middle of Hiroshima.

while I think they can build a mosque all they want, it shouldn't be so close to ground zero. but it makes you wonder of their motives of building it so close.

1. did they do it just to be pricks and say hey we flew 2 planes into your buildings and now we are gonna spit in your face and build a place of worship for us.
2. their intentions truly are pure and they only want to build it their as a place of worship.

now which do you think 90% of America is gonna think about the reason behind building it there?

[FocusDude]

Your really gonna compare the two?

[sleeper15]

Originally Posted by FocusDude

Your really gonna compare the two?

well, i heard that from one of my co-workers.

[ein]

The one time city gvt needs to drag their feet and bury things in red tape and instead shit gets done? WTF.

Too soon...(build the joint in eleventy billion years, then burn it down )

[Protege v2.5]

Put it this way.

You could build a Catholic church right next a playground........but should you?

[JankyS13]

Originally Posted by Protege v2.5

Put it this way.

You could build a Catholic church right next a playground........but should you?

depends solely on if the nuns are going to be dressed like altar boys.

[JankyS13]

Originally Posted by Scapegoat

Obama had the right answer... by rights given to every american citizen... they are allowed to build a mosque there. Is it a smart choice? probably not... i foresee vandalism if not straight up violence targeting the mosque and the people that pray there. However, let them build. perhaps including a museum of history or something to educate the masses that muslims aren't bad.

extremists in any group are bad news. The catholic church has a history of far greater and further reaching atrocities than the Muslim religion. Humanity in the name of Greed has committed far greater and further reaching atrocities than any single religion.

thats a mouth full.

[FocusDude]

Originally Posted by sleeper15

well, i heard that from one of my co-workers.

You heard my quote from co-workers? Or that argument?
You can not compare a all out world war provoked by the pownd, to a on day event where a few radicals decided to get a few planes and kill as many innocent people as possible.

[jpalamar]

I don't know why people are so butthurt about it. Isn't it like 3 blocks away? It isn't like it is overlooking the site or anything. Even if it was overlooking the site I don't see an issue, not all people who are Muslim are bad. There is just an extremeist group that is giving them all a bad rep.

[Elliott18t]

real muslims are non-violent...

/thread.

[JankyS13]

Originally Posted by Elliott18t

real Muslims are non-violent...

/thread.

tell that to 90% of the world and they will still argue the fact w/ what they have seen on tv and the internet. either way its ****ing sad that people are stuck on stupid.

[angdefeo]

I am not sure if i posted it here but there is already another operating mosque closer to the World Trade site than this proposed new development.

I agree with the president on this matter. We all have a right to practice which ever religion we choose. Is is wise to build so close to the WTC site? That is not so wise in my opinion.

Our country was founded to give such freedoms. So we either give everyone freedom or no one anything. I propose we all are allowed to have freedom.

[cnuhtowel]

This entire topic makes me sick. The media is blowing this out of proportion and incredibly stupid people are getting way to involved. The building they want to build is 2 and half blocks away from the world trade center. You can't even see the site from where this building is. And the building they want to knock down is this 100 year old pile of **** that used to be a burlington coat factory.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...4.69,,0,-25.56

other mosques in the area
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.036778&z=15